Emergence of fake media persons has become a big threat for the country’s internal security which needs immediate attention of the union government; Civil, Police, Army officials need awareness

Emergence of fake media persons has become a big threat for the country’s internal security which needs immediate attention of the union government; Civil, Police, Army officials need awareness

SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)

POONCH: Media persons of print and electronic have played a big role for the country’s development and security over the years, but there is another side of the coin and its alarming one.

The Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur holding a press conference on Cabinet Decisions, in New Delhi on July 22, 2021.

Press, which is considered as the fourth estate, is going through a troubled phase, because the emergency of fake media persons has become a big threat for the internal security of the country. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has become a self-styled reporter by holding a mobile and a mike by running unregistered portals and you tube channels which have put the internal security of the country in grave risk. Although, with the big inventions in science and I.T industry, scientists have successfully been able to transfer the traditional video technology into mobile and this has led to the invention of Mobile Journalism which has given a new shape to the media industry. With the invention of Mobile journalism, big print and electronic media houses are now able to use citizen journalism as it’s difficult for any media house to reach everywhere on the spot to cover the news. Though, newspapers and news channels are being governed under a proper procedure and come under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but the emergency of social media platforms being illegally used for journalism purpose by unregistered bodies, which directly comes under the domain of foreign countries has become a big threat for the national internal security because information related to every area of our country is going in foreign hands as there is no system of check and balance right now on social media platforms by the union government. Running anti national narratives touching all fields has become an order of the day by anti national and anti social elements under a well planned conspiracy to defame the nation. A senior journalist of Jammu, pleading anonymity, told “POONCH TODAY” that “ Aajkal har koi journalist ban gaya hai. Auto wala, Truck driver, Tempo driver, Sabzi wala, hotel wala, Painter, Chai wala, Shero Shayri karne wale. Inko Journalism ka matlab toh pata nahi. Khamkha ke reporter ban gayee hain yeh sab” added “Even some people from the legal fraternity and those, who failed in other ventures are seen giving sermons on journalism without knowing it’s a,b,c. Likewise Teachers, Lecturers, government employees of few departments and people from other professions also have become self-styled reporters by running their you tube channels and face book portals.” It is pertinent to mention here that for every field, there is a professional and technical qualification, but in the field of Journalism, everybody has become self style reporter by running you tube, Facebook portals and the biggest surprise is that majority of police officers, civil officers and Army officers are seen encouraging this unhealthy practice because maximum of officers are not aware of the a,b, c of journalism and as a result, such self styled reporters take full benefits of this lack of journalism knowledge among officers and these fake reporters are even seen sitting in important government premises, thus playing with the internal security matters openly which is a grave security concern. Police, Civil and Army officers need awareness on this field because it’s a question of protection of important information related to national interest. Few months back, a self styled editor of a news portal in Kashmir was arrested and killed by security forces because he was a terrorist and was using his media influence in police, civil and security set ups and used to get sensitive information on the name of being a journalist. In the majority of districts, the credentials of such persons (self styled reporters) are not known as who is working for which anti national/anti social agency under a planned agenda. In few border districts of Jammu division, those, who used to get foreign money for years for under questionable activities against the national interest are seen encouraging a few self styled social media reporters because, such forces under a planned agenda are running their narratives through social media through their paid men and machinery and this raises an alarm bell from security point of view. If such unhealthy practices are taken to task, then the internal security of the country is in grave danger. Only professional journalists, registered newspaper and news channels are answerable to government press institutions like Press Council of India, and can use Facebook journalism, You tube journalism and related social media platforms as tools for further dissemination of information among their viewers because newspapers and news channels come under the domain of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of government of India. The Government of India must take action against those Newspapers and News channels which have allowed the entry of fake reporters without having a prescribed qualification in the field of journalism. Curbing fake reporters and even unregistered social media platforms being used for journalism is a dire necessity as it has become a biggest threat for internal security and all out efforts are needed from the government to curb this rising anti national menace. There are reports that anti national forces have launched some you tube channels and facebook portals in majority of sensitive districts/states of the country to fulfill their anti national agenda and those, who are part and parcel of these anti India groups, are being paid heavily behind the curtains. Some religious leaders and a few officers (Civil and Police) of high ranks are also seen indirectly funding these unregistered social media reporters to settle their score against their professional competitors in government and political areas. This fake journalism trend on social media in particular, has become a serious issue and its immediate solution from the government of India is the need of the hour. Moreover, Civil, Police, and Army officers must be directed to discourage those who are projecting themselves as reporters without having a prescribed qualification and are operating without any norms on social media as reporters as it’s a question of country’s internal security because many such fake reporters with duplicate i-cards and duplicate authority letters from media houses are seen having a strong access in important security installations of civil, police, army and other security agencies and its really a cause of concern. It’s high time that Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must ponder over the issue of grave threat to the country’s internal security through the field of fake journalism in print, electronic in general and social media platforms in particular.